


i swear that you are the future, and the future looks good

by LilacsAndLilies



Series: Parkner Week 2020!!! [6]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Adoption, Character Death, College, Coming of Age, Dating, Day 6, Death from Old Age, Domestic Fluff, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Getting Together, Graduation, Growing Old Together, Growing Up Together, Light Angst, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Meet-Cute, Parkner Week 2020, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:35:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25749019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilacsAndLilies/pseuds/LilacsAndLilies
Summary: A series of scenes from the life of Peter Parker and Harley Keener.Parkner Week Day 6: "We’ve all made a “Happy Birthday” sign" / coming of age / getting older
Relationships: Harley Keener/Peter Parker
Series: Parkner Week 2020!!! [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859662
Comments: 17
Kudos: 72
Collections: Parkner Week 2020





	i swear that you are the future, and the future looks good

**Author's Note:**

  * For [angxlsgrxce](https://archiveofourown.org/users/angxlsgrxce/gifts).



i.

Peter knew, logically, just because another kid was going to be in the lab with them, doesn’t mean Mr. Stark was going to pay less attention to him. After all, Mr. Stark had known the kid for way longer than Peter and he still let Peter stick around anyway. That must mean the man liked him, right? There was no need to make space for each other when both of them already had their own spaces with Mr. Stark. It was all going to be fine. He would meet this new kid and it would be ok. 

ii.

Bright blue eyes met chocolate brown. A handshake was exchanged and it was like electricity passed through their bodies. This was the start of something beautiful and they both knew it. How could they not when they felt their hearts beat in unison? It was as if their timelines wrapped around each other, greeting the other's soul as an old friend, a permanent companion.

iii.

Harley had never met someone who made him feel like this. It was as if he was a serpent who was finally allowed to shed his skin. He had never felt comfortable, never felt like he had the chance to be free until he met Peter. But with the other boy, it was easy. Strangers was just a word and with Peter, words seemed to lose their meaning. What words could describe how beautiful this friendship was?

iv.

Harley was there for the summer. It took one week for the two to become the best of friends. They shared everything, spent all of their time together, became absolutely inseparable. They weren’t _Peter_ and _Harley_ , they were _PeterandHarley_. It was as if they coexisted, watching the same movies, eating the same food, sharing the same sweatshirts. 

v.

It took Peter longer than he'd care to admit to realize he had a crush on Harley. But it didn't matter, because he was still the one to ask. Their first date was at a Thai dinner, and afterwards Peter might have swung Harley up on top of a building to watch the sunset (because of course Harley had already found out about Spider-Man). It was perfect and Peter hoped the bliss never ended.

vi.

He had gone through his entire life isolating from everyone he knew. All he had was his sister and his mom. Everyone else was temporary, and that was ok. He was prepared for that. But then Peter Parker waltzed into his life and flipped it upside down. He hated to beg, would never ask anyone to stay, but he would beg for Peter. 

vii.

"Macy, I was wondering if Harley could stay here for his senior year? Maybe attend Midtown."

"Would it make him happy?"

"More than anything."

"Then of course Stark. Keep him safe."

"You know I will."

viii.

Of course, dating didn't mean anything changed. They were still the same amounts of inseparable. They did homework together and walked in the halls together. If you found one, the other was sure to be nearby. It was like playing with magnets. Neither of them would ever lose true north, ever lose sight of this beautiful thing they had. 

ix.

When Peter falls from atop a ten story building, Tony calls them both in as sick. Harley glued himself to the chair beside Peter and begged him to come back. He knew he wasn't one to beg, but Peter was always the exception. Harley could have cried when Peter twitched before finally opening his eyes. He never cried. But for Peter, he would move mountains and fight armies single handedly. It should have scared him, how quickly Peter meant so much to him, but he couldn’t think of that, not when he was too busy cherishing Peter, too busy loving the boy he almost lost. 

x.

The first time Iron Lad shows up on the scene, no one believes it's his first time. The fluid way he fought side by side with Spider-Man, the way they seemed like two parts of the same whole, it was like watching a single mind. 

The villain of the day didn't stand a chance.

xi.

_Dust filled Peter’s lungs, he couldn’t move, couldn’t breath_

Peter got up out of his own bed, walking the twenty steps to Harley’s room.

_He could still hear the Vulture's voice echoing in his mind. "No one is coming to save you."_

Peter slipped under the covers. Harley barely made a sound, simply moving over to make space for Peter.

_"There is always someone coming to save me."_

Peter curled up in Harley’s arms and drifted into a peaceful sleep.

xii.

Harley stood, diploma in hand, as he watched Peter cross the stage. They did this, together. And months earlier, when they received matching acceptance letters to MIT? They knew they would be doing that together too. 

Most people felt anxious or nervous, looking out at the bright new world that opened up at their fingertips. But Harley? He never had to question it, never felt any fear. He knew as long as Peter was by his side, he could take on the world.

xiii.

College wasn't bad, or even that different, it just was. They moved into their little dorm room together, refusing Tony’s attempts to help them out. And once again, the days were filled with study sessions and coffee dates and walks around campus. With each and every day that Peter woke up, Harley by his side, he smiled a little more, wondering how he got so lucky for once. 

xiv.

It was clear to everyone that saw them together that they only had eyes for each other. It was only the occasional person who saw them in the rare moments they were alone.

A girl walked up to Peter sitting against the wall and on the floor of the library. Peter was gently running his hands through the hair of the blond who was napping, his head rested in Peter’s lap. The girl didn't notice. 

"Hey, I was wondering if you would like to go on a date?"

Peter just smiled at her, stifling a laugh so as to avoid waking the sleeping boy. "Sorry, but no. I've already got someone, right here."

The girl's eyes grew wide in understanding as she rushed away. There was no one else left asking after either of them.

xv.

It was Peter’s twenty first birthday, and all of them had congregated in Stark Tower yet again. Harley was trying to make a birthday sign, but his nerves were shot and he watched as the letters trailed off the poster, slowly growing smaller. A quick glance at MJ had him crumpling it up and heading to his room to pace around instead.

Harley pulled Peter aside moments before the guests began to arrive. With a gentle grip on the boy's right hand, he led them both up to the terrace. With the sunset behind him and the faint noises of New York City down below, Harley leaned down on one knee.

When they got back, there was more than one reason to celebrate.

xvi.

It was a quiet affair during the summer after they graduated. The summer sun shined down and even the shadows seemed to shake with anticipation. Harley stood at the altar, looking out and around him at his family. All he ever had was Abby and his mom. But now? He had so many people who were all here for him, and the only person he could think to thank was Peter. It was always Peter.

The music began to play and Peter stepped out and it was like time froze.

xvii.

"I'm pleased to announce to you that the heirs of SI are our very own Harley and Peter Parker-Keener."

xviii.

When Peter brought home a baby boy he found abandoned in an alleyway, he already knew they were keeping him. His baby blue eyes shined so bright and Peter was reminded of another pair of blue eyes that snuck their way into his life. 

Harley saw the boy and immediately fell in love. He saw Peter holding the baby, cradling him in his arms, and he knew there was no better sight. 

"I think we'll name you, Benjamin Anthony Parker-Keener."

xix.

The mantle of co-leaders of the Avengers was a heavy one, but it was lighter with two. Atlas need not have struggled if he only found a partner to share his burdens with. 

Together, they built a team. One that was stronger and more of a family than any team before. The world was safe and Peter was proud to be a part of the reason they had a fighting chance. 

xx.

Giving it all to their son and daughter was gradual but eventual. Soon enough they faded from the world, retiring in the same little cabin that Tony had. They watched the world move on, satisfied they made a difference. 

Now their days were quiet lunches in the soft grass and evening strolls and fishing trips. But through it all they were still them, _PeterandHarley_ , inseparable. 

xxi.

They were together in life and in everything that came beyond, passing away in their sleep with their fingers still intertwined, gravestones side by side. 

**Author's Note:**

> Talk to me on tumblr @lilacsandlilies4  
> or on discord @LilacsAndLilies#4691


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